Mom life can be challenging at the best of times. It’s a constant juggling act of dressing, cleaning, feeding, driving around, extra murals, homework and bedtime routines. So often the last thing we feel like doing is thinking what to feed our broods come dinner time. And thinking of new things to make that don’t require fifty steps and 34 elements to your dish. I mean I LOVE Masterchef and enjoy creating yummy meals, but during the week we need easy to prepare meals that don’t need too much hands-on time, but that are still healthy and delicious!

I was sent the new NEOCHEF™ MICROWAVE OVEN WITH SMART INVERTER TECHNOLOGY to test out and I’ve been cooking up a storm in it since it arrived last week. Some of you may have followed out Insta Story Cookie baking session we had over the weekend and seen first-hand how this microwave can even bake cakes and biscuits!! Genius I tell ya! But first things first, how GORGEOUS does it look in my kitchen?

But it was only last night that I attempted our first roast dinner! I have to admit, I’m a firm believer in using a good old-fashioned oven when it comes to things like this. I’m traditional like that. So I was a little sceptical (I won’t lie!) at the thought of abandoning my traditional method of a cooking a chicken and using our LG Neochef Microwave oven instead. Truth is I was also eager to see if it would in fact save me time and Energy (my own and the Electric power kind!)

So first let me start by telling you more about this incredible little machine and what it offers you that other microwaves don’t…

Combining a convenient design, subtle minimalism and the latest Smart Inverter technology from LG Electronics , the new NeoChef™ takes culinary and microwave ovens to a new level. With the latest design trends, the microwave is both minimalistic and accessible, instantly bringing a touch of class to any kitchen. The ergonomic NeoChef features a simple intuitive control interface as well as a range of hygiene-enhancing features including Anti-Bacterial EasyClean™ that help users keep their ovens clean and fresh.

This elegant LG NeoChef has a unified tempered glass front, a refined matte exterior and is ergonomically designed with a rounded pocket-style handle and diamond cut dial weds form function to not only deliver the ultimate in precision and user-convenience, but to seamlessly blend in with the decor of any kitchen. To simplify operation, the NeoChef extends its usability features into input with its simple intuitive sliding touch control. The advanced microwave has received multiple world-renowned design awards including the 2015 PIN UP Design Award and the 2015 Good Design Award.

I decided to test out the Roasting option with a whole chicken because this is something we eat at least once a week and I felt I would be able to make a fair comparison between a traditional oven and the LG NeoChef Microwave oven and see first-hand if it delivered!

For the record the Microwave does have different settings for different dishes, but like I do in our regular oven, I threw in our veggies with the chicken. (Also to save time because I would have had to cook veggies separately)

This is what I can tell you about my experience roasting a chicken in the LG NeoChef Microwave Oven: 

1. It’s pretty simple and straight forward to use. Once you have read through the manual properly it’s a dream to use as it shows you exactly what you need to do for every dish specifically, including time and weight.
2. It saves energy because there is no time needed to heat up the oven, the microwave inverter starts functioning as soon as your finger hits the START button. From my experience, the cooking time was less too, which adds to our energy saving. SCORE!!
3. It literally is as easy as seasoning your chicken with herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil, popping it in the microwave, pushing a few buttons and pushing start. By selecting the correct time for the weight of your chicken, it will automatically stop cooking when the time runs out. This means no more burnt food or over-cooked meat because you forgot food in the oven while getting kids out the bath.
4. To my absolute surprise, our chicken was as succulent and tender as ever, just as good as any traditional oven-cooked roast.

I would say the ONE down-side is that you can’t cook two things simultaneously unless they require the same method (time, weight etc etc…) I like roasting my veggies with my dishes so generally it doesn’t make too much difference to me. It may just mean putting them in later so as not to overcook them. Space can sometimes prevent you from cooking everything at once, but there are ways to work around that.

But I think it turned out OK….

So there you have it folks…. I’m going to be updating you with some of my culinary inventions over the next little while so keep a look out on Instagram and my Facebook page to see how this microwave oven is working out for us. Next up on the menu : FISH!!

If you are looking for a microwave that functions as an oven then go check out LG South Africa’s website for the full run down of what they offer.

This post is sponsored by LG Electronics.

Hi I’m Leigh! Did you enjoy reading this post? I really hope so and would love you to stick around a little longer! Please feel free to browse my blog for other articles or to keep up with all the latest news and to be the first to hear about some great competitions, come and find me me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email me directly at leeloobaggins@hotmail.com or simply subscribe below and never worry about missing out!